Tawana and the knife

SHARE | Monday, 08 August 2016 | By Phillimon Mmeso

Tawana Moremi

Members of Parliament for Maun West and Tati East Tawana Moremi and Biggie Butale have clarified the issue of ‘knife in Parliament’ issue. In an interview with The Patriot on Sunday, Moremi said that he was misquoted in Parliament when he talked about the knife incident. “The incident I was talking about happened in March last year when I approached the Deputy Speaker Kagiso Molatlhegi about security at the revenue office and was accompanied by MP Butale and Sergeant in Arms,” clarified Moremi adding that the knife was not even Okapi but hunting knife.

He said that he was shocked when Minister of Agriculture Patrick Ralotsia used the incident to mock him in Parliament and realised that it was Molatlhegi who leaked the story to him. “That is why I was saying I am disappointed with Molatlhegi because I shared the information with him as Deputy Speaker but he betrayed my confidence in him,” said Moremi. Moremi said that the reason he carried the knife was for his protection and for eating meat. Butale confirmed that the incident happened last year and it was Moremi who voluntarily showed Molatlhegi as a way for showing that security at the Parliamentary revenue offices was lax as they can even enter carrying weapons.

The Patriot ratings helped me Recently Moremi has been one of the most effective MPs and has never missed Parliament, something which he is known for. In the current session, he is one of the MPs who were leading in critiquing the Trade Disputes Bill which is currently at the Committee Stage. Asked what could have led to his recent change of attitude towards Parliament business, Moremi said that the previous rating of The Patriot on Sunday has forced him to introspect.

“I have been rated as one of the poor performing MPs and even my constituents were concerned when I engaged them. I had to change my attitude,” he said. One of the things that made him lose interest in Parliament was the attitude of the Speaker Gladys Kokorwe and her deputy Kagiso Molatlhegi who he said had dictatorial tendencies.

“I couldn’t adapt to the way they were conducting debates in Parliament and that is why I was always chased out. I have now found a way of dealing with them,” he said. One of the ways of dealing with them, according to Maun West MP, is to remain calm and avoid any confrontation with them.